Canada Industry Minister Champagne Won't Run to Be Liberal Party Leader

By Paul Vieira

OTTAWA--Canadian Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is the latest high-profile cabinet member to declare no interest in replacing Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader.

Champagne said he was encouraged by party members to seek the job. However, he said he has opted against being the next Liberal leader, adding it was a difficult decision.

"But I think it's the right one," Champagne said during a question-and-answer session at a blue-chip luncheon in Toronto. He didn't say whether he would run in the coming election, which must be held no later than October.

Champagne is the latest high-profile cabinet minister to abstain from the Liberal Party leadership race, triggered by Trudeau's resignation on Jan. 6. The governing Liberals are struggling in public opinion polls, trailing the Conservatives and its populist leader, Pierre Poilievre, by more than 20 percentage points.

Canada's finance, foreign and transport ministers have also said they won't be seeking the Liberal Party leadership. Also bowing out is Christy Clark, a former premier of the Pacific Coast province of British Columbia. In the case of Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, they said they needed to focus exclusively on U.S.-Canada relations amid a threat from President-elect Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 25% on Canadian imports.

Although they have yet to officially declare, political analysts and Liberal party insiders say the two frontrunners for the Liberal Party leadership are former central bank chief Mark Carney and former finance minister Chrystia Freeland.

Write to Paul Vieira at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

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